Safety relay configuration system for safety mat device using graphical interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9977407-B2
Application number	US-201414584509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2013
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A safety relay configuration system for configuring safety functions to be carried out by a safety relay is provided. The configuration system comprises a number of features that facilitate intuitive and simplified configuration of an industrial safety relay, including but not limited to features that guide the user through the configuration process using an intuitive sequential procedure that provides feedback and prompts based on user interaction, enforce design consistency throughout the configuration project by intelligently limiting user selections, and visually organize configuration and status information in a manner that efficiently utilizes display space and allows the user to quickly evaluate available configuration options.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for configuring an industrial safety relay, comprising:
a configuration component configured to create a configuration program for a safety relay based on configuration input that adds one or more graphical function block elements to the configuration program, wherein the safety relay monitors an industrial safety system and controls an ability of an industrial system to run based on a status of one or more safety devices of the industrial safety system;
a graphical interface component configured to receive the configuration input and to display the one or more graphical function block elements; and
a communication component that programs the safety relay with the configuration program,
wherein
the configuration component is further configured to, in response to determining that one of the one or more graphical function block elements is a safety mat function block corresponding to a safety mat device to be monitored by the safety relay, assign two first unused terminals of the safety relay to be respective two test source terminals for the safety mat device and two second unused input terminals of the safety relay to be respective two input channels for the safety mat device,
the safety mat function block comprises a graphical parameter setting element, and in response to receipt of an input filter parameter value via interaction with the graphical parameter setting element, the configuration component applies the input filter parameter value to the two input channels, and
the communication component sends the configuration program to the safety relay to facilitate programming of the safety relay, wherein programming the safety relay with the configuration program causes the safety relay to output a first test pulse via a first terminal of the two first unused terminals and to output a second test pulse via a second terminal of the two second unused terminals.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the graphical interface component is further configured to, in response to selection of the terminal selection element of a function block element of the one or more graphical function block elements, display a terminal selection window graphic that displays a set of available terminals of the safety relay, and
selection of a terminal from the set of available terminals associates the terminal with the function block element.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the set of available terminals comprises at least one or more terminals associated with a removable expansion module installed on the safety relay, and the one or more terminals become visible on the terminal selection window graphic in response to configuration of the configuration program to recognize the expansion module.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein
a function block element of the one or more graphical function block elements comprises multiple parameter setting elements, and further comprises
a collapsed state in which a first subset of the multiple parameter setting elements are visible and a second subset of the multiple parameter setting elements are hidden, and
an expanded state in which the first subset of the multiple parameter setting elements and the second subset of the multiple parameter setting elements are visible, and
the graphical interface component is further configured to switch the function block element between the collapsed state and the expanded state in response to selection of an expansion icon on the function block element.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a function block element of the graphical function block elements is configured to display selectable elements using a first color that is different than a second color used to display non-selectable elements of the function block element.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a function block element of the graphical function block elements comprises a first set of graphical parameter setting elements and a second set of graphical parameter setting elements that reside on respective white bands on the function block element, and the white bands are separated by non-white bands.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the terminal selection window graphic organizes the set of available terminals into three or more columns.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the terminal selection window graphic segregates the set of available terminals according to two or more terminal categories to yield respective two or more terminal groups, and the two or more terminal groups comprise respective title bars displaying respective names of the two or more terminal categories.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphical interface component is further configured to display a light emitting diode (LED) configuration window configured to receive LED configuration input, and the configuration component is further configured to configure a function of an LED of the safety relay based on the LED configuration input.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the LED configuration window comprises rows respectively corresponding to an available LED of the safety relay, and the rows respectively comprise an LED identification label, a type filter selection box, and a value selection box.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the type filter selection box is configured to receive type selection input that selects an LED function type, and the graphical interface component is further configured to display a set of options in the value selection box corresponding to the LED function type selected in the type filter selection box.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the configuration component is further configured to configure the function of the LED based on selection of one of the options in the value selection box.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein
a function block element of the graphical function block elements is configured to change from a first color to a second color in response to detection of a fault condition associated with the function block element, and
the graphical interface component is configured to render a message window containing information about the fault condition in response to a cursor being hovered over the function block element.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving configuration input that associates one or more graphical function block elements with a configuration program for a safety relay, wherein the safety relay monitors an industrial safety system and controls an ability of an industrial automation system to run based on a status of a safety mat device of the industrial safety system;
in response to determining that one of the one or more graphical function block elements is a safety mat function block corresponding to the safety mat device,
assigning two first unused terminals of the safety relay to be respective two test source terminals for the safety mat device, and
assigning two second unused terminals of the safety relay to be respective two input channels for the safety mat device;

receiving an input filter parameter setting via interaction with a graphical parameter setting element of the safety mat function block;
in response to the receiving the input filter parameter setting, applying the input filter parameter setting to the two input channels;
editing the configuration program based on the input filter parameter setting; and
sending the configuration program to the safety relay with the configuration program, wherein the sending the configuration program causes the s

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Prosak Bradley A
• Helpenstein Thomas
• Papenbreer Rudolf
• Lorenz Dirk
• Cemerlang Pujianto
• Knez Carol
• Burke Christopher
• Bubar Todd
• Trinh Nhat Nam

Classifications

• G05B2219/13144

  GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface · CPC title

• G05B19/056

  Programming the PLC · CPC title

• G06N5/04

  Inference or reasoning models · CPC title

• G05B2219/23278

  Program by data flow · CPC title

• G05B9/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title